Vignette 32:
The stewardess brought the kid in as part of the tour and right away he pissed me off.

“Why’s the computer so big? Why’s it so slow? Why does it have a tap on the front?”

I didn’t want to look at the runt so I turned to the computer. I ran a hand along the edge of room-filling cylinder.

“She’s not slow, she’s tough. Her core isn’t weak silicon or habridide, she’s hardwired with microscopic gold wiring. That means she runs slower as you can only shrink it so much. But the radiation in Jump would fry anything lesser. Even so, that sweet core is surrounded by a foot thick lead-carbide shield to protect it against solar radiation. A foot of simple gel insulation for temperature control. Then the proton tanks, between six feet of dense water that captures the results of proton decay caused by the Jump gravitational changes. That’s what the tap is for, to drain the tanks. Then the wall sensors that detect the radiation we can’t shield against and tell this baby to reset when it detects something that might cause a miscalculation.

NOTES: the differences between a brain and a mind are very negligible. There is significant overlap between the definitions, both formally and informally. As a generality, brains are lower performance and minds are higher performance. Brains were first operated with personalities. Later models began to include lower quality personalities. All minds are designed from the onset to include high quality personalities.

The development of Information Technology (IT) and particularly the key device of IT, the computer is a key advancement of any technological civilization.

Computer technology greatly assists in the advancement of knowledge. Scientists used it to better store, collate, and push out the boundaries of scientific knowledge. Linguists use it to catalogue known languages and improve universal translators. Bureaucrats use it to aid in process of governance, massively increasing efficiency.

Nearly every tech level of advancement leads to an exponential increase in pure research capability and a greatly sped up doubling of existing knowledge.

Computers and other forms of data processing and storage expand the extilligence of a civilization, which is to say its ability to pass on learning from one generation to the next.

Almost all are designed to use lower technology repair components in most functionalities. For this reason, ship’s computers tend to be much larger and more voluminous than strictly function-based microelectronics.

COMPUTERS: The abacus and the quipu represent early calculating tech. they are simple, mechanical processors that help a sophont keep large numbers of calculations in memory. Mathematics makes great leaps forward with the development of algebra, trigonometry, and calculus.

COMPUTERS: The first analog computers and calculators greatly enhance business and academic endeavors. Mechanical and early electroniccalculators become fixtures. Electric devices, polymers, and early electronics fuel continuing progress. Designers use classic Lovelacian programming and aspire to build the first Babbage machines. Many sophontsocieties can build processors that meet the Imperial standards for Model/1 and Model/1bis processors.

COMPUTERS: Programmable computers come into vogue as the analog is replaced by the digital. Transistors make way for microchips; desktop processors soon become a feature of home, business, and school. Massive parallel processors fill entire rooms and supersede earlier technologies. The first supercomputers can often beat even expert humans at games like chess due to phenomenal calculating abilities and vast memory banks. Photonic and gravitic energy transmission as well as bio-computing replace many of the earlier generations of electronics. Voice-activated processors are more user-friendly than ever before. Many societies can build processors that meet the Imperial standards for Model/2, Model/2bis, and even Model/3processors.

COMPUTERS: High autonomous robots outperform many educated experts across many fields. They still can’t match the apex professors, but they can perform perfectly well at the professional level. Holocrystals and advanced bio-compumetrics are increasing functioning to billions of actions per nanosecond. Computer brain implants allow complete rehabilitation and restoration of function to almost all individuals who were formerly handicapped. Infomorphs and downloadable brains supplement wafertech. Pseudoreality simulators show amazing promise. Many societies can build processors that meet the Imperial standards for Model/7, Model/8, and Model/9 processors.

COMPUTERS: High autonomous robots outperform many educated experts across many fields. They still can’t match the apex professors, but they can perform perfectly well at the professional level. Holocrystals and advanced bio-compumetrics are increasing functioning to billions of actions per nanosecond. Computer brain implants allow complete rehabilitation and restoration of function to almost all individuals who were formerly handicapped. Infomorphs and downloadable brains supplement wafertech. Pseudoreality simulators show amazing promise. Many societies can build processors that meet the Imperial standards for Model/7, Model/8, and Model/9 processors. Hop Drives begin to use more advanced Ship's Computers.

COMPUTERS: Some Imperial scientists have quietly made the observation that psionic science may underlay future societal and technological developments. True Artificial Intelligence is another widely anticipated factor. It is anticipated that true artificial intelligence, thinking, feeling machines whose capabilities may exceed organic sophont minds may coalesce over this tech period, the Ultra Period.